Fluid heater



w. A. JONES FLUID HEATER Nov. 4, 1930.

Filed Aug. 9, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 4, 1930. w. A. JONES 1,780,301

FLUID HEATER Filed Aug. 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR W WATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM A. JONES, OF WEST BRIGHTON, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY FLUID HEATER Application filed August 9, 1927. Serial No. 211,742.

My invention particularly relates to an air heater, although it will be evident that it is not necessarily limited thereto.

lHy invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through an air heater embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken along the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating certain details; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the end of a tube which is slidable in a tube sheet and is provided with a collar for supporting the sheet;

. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified form of airheater to which my invention is applied; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse section taken along the plane of line 66 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the connection of the upper ends of a limited number of tubes shown in Fig. 5 to the tube sheet, and Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but illustrating the connection of the lower ends of the tubes to the lower tube sheet.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4-, 10 indicates generally a flue provided with side walls 11 in which is located a fluid heater, which is here illustrated as an air heater and which is inclicated generally at 12. The tubes 13 of the air heater are received at their lower and upper ends in tube sheets or plates 14.- and 15, respectively, the tubes in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 being straight throughout and the end platesor sheets being horizontal. The lower ends of the tubes are secured to the lower plate, preferably by expanding their lower ends, as at 15, into the openings in the lower plate in which the tubes are received. The lower plate 14 is supported by suitable members such as girders or angle irons 17. The upper ends of the tubes are slidably received, as at 18, in the openings of the upper plate 15. At least some of the tubes are provided with associated means for supporting the upper plate.

In the embodiment illustrated, some of the tubes are provided with collars 19 secured to the tubes and located below the upper plate and form supports therefor so that the tubes are free to expand and contract, a feature particularly valuable where the surfaces of the tubes are washed, as such washing causes contraction of the tubes that are being washed. At the same time, the upper plate which rests upon the collars is free to move up and down with the supporting collars, the plate preferably being guided in its movement by an upwardly extending flange which is received within an overhanging collar or collars 20 as illustrated.

Then my device is used as an air heater such as illustrated, in which the lower ends of the tubes are expanded into the tube sheet orplate, the heated gases preferably pass upwardly through the tubes'so that the hotter gases come in contact with the lower ends of the tubes and the colder gases come in contact with the upper ends of the tubes. This feature is advantageous where the tubes are treated with a materialwhich is resistant to corrosion and particularly where they are enamelled. Expanding the lower ends of the tubes into the openings of the lower tube sheet is likely to remove the enamel at a. por. tion of the tube. here the hotter gases, however, enter the tubes at their expanded ends, the removal of the enamel or other corrosion resisting material is of no consequence as the hotter gases keep the tubes at a sufficiently high temperature to prevent condensation of the acid fumes which are carried in the flue gases. The exit ends of the tubes where the gases are the coolest are most sub jected to corrosion as the lower temperature is more likely to result in the condensation of acid fumesand consequent corrosion of the tubes. The upper ends of the tubes may be treated with enamel or other corrosion resisting material, and, as the tubes are not ex panded, the material is not affected. It will, of course, be understood that in case the tubes were secured in the upper plate and slidable. in the lower, the gases would enter at the upper ends of the tubes, the heated gases in that case also entering the expanded ends of the tubes.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the air enters through a duct 21 and passes over the upper ends of the tubes, thence downwardly past the end of a batfle 22 to the outlet duct 23.

In Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, I have illustrated tially right angles thereto. The lower ends of I the tubes are expanded into the lower tube sheet, as at 161, while the upper ends are slidable in the openings of the upper-tube plate, as at 181, certain of the tubes being provided with collars 191 to serve as a support for the upper plate 151 as in Figs. 1 to 4:, the up per plate being guided by a collar or collars 152. In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5, the heated gases enter the lower ends of the tubes from a duct 25. In this embodiment, the lower plate is suitably supported, as by I-beams 24, and the heated gases pass to the tubes from a duct 25. The air inlet is indicated at 211 and the air outlet at 231.

It will, of course, be understood that the tubes might be treated for a portion only of their lengths with enamel or other material resistant to the corrosive action of flue gases. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, where the tubes are secured to the lower tube sheet and are slidable through the upper tube sheet, it might be suflicient in some cases to enamel or otherwise treat the upper ends only of the tubes where they are subjected to the coolest gases and where condensation of acid fumes is most likely to occur.

I claim:

1. In a fluid heater, a plurality of vertically extending tubes, upper and lower plates provided with openings in which the upper and lower ends of said tubes are received, the tubes being secured at one end to a first of said plates, means for supporting said first plate,

at least some of said tubes. being providedv with collars located beneath the other plate for supporting the latter. Y

2. In a fluid heater, a plurality oi? vertically extending tube-s, upper and lower plates provided with openings in which the upper and lower ends of said tubes are received, the tubes being secured at one end to a first of said plates, means for supporting said first plate, a part only of said tubes being provided with collars secured thereto and located beneath the other plate for supporting the latter.

8. In a fluid heater, a plurality of vertically extending tubes, upper and lower plates provided with openings in which the upper and lower ends of said tubes are received, the

tubes being secured at their lower ends to said lower plate, the upper ends of at least a part of said tubes being provided with associated means for supporting the upper plate.

4. In a fluid heater, a plurality of vertically extending tubes, upper and lower plates provided with openings in which the upper and lower ends of said tubes are received, the tubes being secured at their lower ends to said lower plate, the upper ends of a part only of said tubes being provided with collars secured thereto and located beneath the upper plate forsupporting the latter.

In an air heater, a plurality of vertically disposed tubes, end plates provided with openings in which the ends of said tubes are received, at least the upper ends of said tubes being covered on their interiors with a solid material resistant to corrosion, the lower ends otsaid tubes being expanded in the lower plate and the upper ends thereoi being slidable in the o1')enings of the upper plate, and means for passing heated corrosive gases upwardly through said tubes.

(5. In an air heater, a plurality of tubes, end plates provided with openings in which the ends oit' said tubes are received, said tubes being covered on their interiors at one end only with a material resistant to corrosion and slidable at that end in the associated plate, the other ends of said tubes being expanded in the other plate, and means for passing heated corrosive gases through said tubes, the gases entering the expanded ends of said tubes.

7. In an air heater, a plurality of vertically disposed tubes, end plates provided with openings in which the ends of said tubes are received, said tubes being covered on their interiors at one end only with a material resistant to corrosion and slidable in the openings of the associated plate, the other ends of said tubes being expanded in the other plate, and means for passing heated corrosive gases through said tubes, the gases entering through the expanded ends of thetubes.

8. In an air heater, a plurality of tubes, end plates provided with openings in which the endsof said tubes are received, one of the ends of said tubes being expanded in one of said plates, the other ends of said tubes passing freely through the other plate, a covering of material resistant to corrosion applied to said tubes in the region of the last named plate, and means for passing heated corrosion gases through said tubes, the corrosive hot gases en tering the expanded ends of said tubes.

IVILLIAM A. JONES. 

